Man up for theft of mum’s livestock

Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent A MAN from Gwanda stole livestock and money from his mother ostensibly to obtain a driver’s licence and fend for his family, a magistrate has heard.Nkululeko Mbangeni, 29, who was now employed as a kombi driver and is from Mawanke village under Chief Mathema, pleaded guilty to stealing a goat, three cattle and three donkeys from his mother, Idah Mbangeni, 66.

The beasts are all valued at $1,720. Nkululeko also admitted to stealing cash amounting to $114 and R350 from his mother’s bedroom.

He was convicted of stock theft and theft charges on Saturday by Gwanda magistrate, Olivia Mashava Mashaire and remanded in custody to today for sentencing.

In mitigation, Nkululeko told the court that he was not aware that his actions were going to land him in trouble with the law. “I don’t have anything against my mother. When I committed the offence, I didn’t realise that this was going to cause trouble for me. I’m hurt that I’ve landed in court,” said Nkululeko.

The magistrate asked him if he had special circumstances that could make the court depart from the mandatory nine years sentence for stock theft.Nkululeko said:

“I sold three of my mother’s beasts with the hope that I would compensate her in future. I also stole her money because I wanted to build myself a homestead since I am now a father and have to look after my children. There is nothing I could’ve done because I was unemployed.

“Secondly, I sold the donkeys because I wanted money to obtain a driver’s licence,” Nkululeko said.

Prosecutor Getrude Zvidzai told the court that on December 2012 at around 12PM, and at his mother’s homestead, Nkululeko stole a goat and slaughtered it for relish.

This was done without his mother’s consent. Sometime in April 2013, Idah’s three cattle went missing and after searching for them for almost a year, Nkululeko confessed to having stolen them.

He said he sold the cattle to one Mandla Songo of Sizeze village. Again on October 2, 2014, Nkululeko stole three donkeys belonging to his mother and sold them to an unknown person in Matobo.

Zvidzai said in January this year, Nkululeko stole $114 and R350 from his mother’s bedroom.

Meanwhile, Nkululeko was also convicted of assaulting his neighbour, Anayi Ndlovu, 57, with a knobkerrie.

The two had a misunderstanding over a missing goat on December 29, 2012.Ndlovu sustained some injuries on the right arm.

“What aggravates this offence is that accused person assaulted a defenceless woman over her goat. I would urge the court not to be lenient but give him a custodial sentence,” said Zvidzai.